Plant Biology

Why study Plant Biology at Aberystwyth University?

• Learn and live in an exceptional environment where you will be surrounded by a great diversity of beautiful environments, including marine, moorland, mountain, waterways, grassland and coast.
• Investigate subjects areas such as plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, crop science, ecology, food security and global climate change impacts.
• Receive expert training in field and laboratory skills.
• Taught by well-known and world-leading experts in the field.
• Use of the Biological Service Unit, Mass Spectrometry, Analytical Unit, Modelling laboratory, the Computational Biological laboratory, Advanced Microscopy and Bio-imaging Laboratory.

Our Staff

The majority of teaching staff at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences are qualified to PhD level and are research active. Vocational courses also have staff whose background lies within industry.  The Institute has a large number of research only staff with whom students may have contact.

What are our graduates doing now?

Students can engage in careers in the following areas:

• Horticultural / Agricultural production;
• Habitat surveying of habitats and Conservation;
• Education and public engagement;
• Plant Breeding;
• Plant Biotechnology;
• Consultancy;
• Plant research –graduate position;
• Ph.D. research.

Following graduation our students are ideally positioned to target employment with the following organisations:

• NIAB;
• The Environment Agency;
• Natural Resources Wales;
• National Trust;
• National Parks;
• Botanic Gardens (e.g. Kew, NBGW);
• The Forestry Commission;
• Plant breeding companies;
• Biotechnology companies;
• Agri-Food organisations.

What skills will obtain from studying Plant Biology?

Employability is embedded in our teaching. Our students leave Aberystwyth University with the skills including:

• research and data analysis skills;
• enhanced mathematical and computational skills;
• effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills;
• a thorough grounding in information technology skills;
• the ability to work independently;
• time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines;
• the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form;
• self-motivation and self-reliance;
• team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement.

What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying? 

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer. 

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department. 

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.

Your first year will provide a broad grounding in biology, and training in the skills needed to succeed in your studies. Subject areas covered will include:

• Plant Physiology;
• Plant Genetics;
• Plant Cell Biology;
• The Biosphere;
• Understanding how Ecosystems work;
• Soil Biology.

In your second year you will engage in Plant based modules offering the following areas:

• Climate change impacts on Plants;
• Plant ID and Ecological Surveying (UK and Abroad);
• Agronomy and Crop Improvement;
• Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics;
• Aquatic Plants.

In your third year, subject areas offered include:

• Applied Plant Science (Forage Grass Breeding, Energy Crops, Biotechnology);
• Plant Pathogens;
• Plant ID and Ecological Surveying (UK and abroad);
• Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics;
• Crop and Grassland Production;
• Agricultural and Environmental Systems.

How will I be taught?

The course will be delivered through lectures, workshops, tutorials and practicals. You will be assessed through;

• Essays
• Practical exercises
• Oral presentations
• Worksheets
• Reports
• Statistical exercises
• Dossiers
• Posters
• Portfolios
• Wikis
• Reflective diaries
• Literature reviews
• Magazine articles
• Field notebooks
• Exams

The course is great; I get to cover a large range of topics which allows me to tailor my modules to my own tastes, so I can make my degree course fit my interests and needs. Elizabeth Smith

The course is very broad and caters for the interests of anyone wishing to study biology. The modules in second year allow you to specialize in subject areas that you are interested in. The flexibility of the degree scheme is very attractive to a prospective student who is not yet sure on where their true interests lie. The practicals are diverse and well spread over the academic year and reinforce lecture material. Jodie Ackland